CASE Launches Second Advancement Conference in Asia-Pacific Region

Experts from around the globe to discuss challenges facing educational institutions

HONG KONG-Educational fundraising in today's difficult economic climate will be one of the leading topics of discussion at the 2008 CASE Asia-Pacific Advancement Conference, which takes place Dec. 2-5, at Hong Kong International School and the Harbour Plaza Hong Kong.

CASE is the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, the largest international association of educational institutions in the world.

Additional topics include taking advantage of the next generation in Web technology and understanding etiquette, cultural issues and protocol in different Asia-Pacific countries.

The conference, "Your Harbour, Your Horizon," is designed for professionals who work at educational institutions in alumni relations, fundraising, marketing and communications, collectively called "advancement." The conference will focus on advancement at independent and international schools and institutions of higher education.

More than 300 participants are expected at the conference, which features a notable lineup of advancement experts as well as education leaders, including Alan Finkel, chancellor of Monash University in Melbourne; Way Kuo, president of City University of Hong Kong; Stephen Toope, president of the University of British Columbia; and Lap-Chee Tsui, vice chancellor and president of the University of Hong Kong.

At the conference gala dinner on Thursday, Dec. 4, CASE will present Circle of Excellence awards for exceptional achievement to the University of Melbourne (marketing and communications); the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (special events) and the University of Waterloo (alumni relations programming). Paul Sheahan, headmaster of the prestigious Melbourne Grammar School in Australia, will receive the 2008 CASE Asia-Pacific Chief Executive Leadership Award for his outstanding service to education and the wider community.

This is the second comprehensive CASE conference in Asia and underscores the growing importance of advancement in the region and elsewhere around the world as institutions work to secure private financial support, engage alumni and attract prospective students. CASE, based in Washington, D.C., also has offices in Singapore and London.

About CASE

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education is a professional association serving educational institutions and the advancement professionals who work on their behalf in alumni relations, communications, development, marketing and allied areas.

CASE was founded in 1974 and maintains headquarters in Washington, D.C., with offices in London (CASE Europe, 1994), Singapore (CASE Asia-Pacific, 2007) and Mexico City (CASE América Latina, 2011).

Today, CASE’s membership includes more than 3,600 colleges and universities, primary and secondary independent and international schools, and nonprofit organizations in nearly 77 countries around the globe. This makes CASE one of the world’s largest nonprofit educational associations in terms of institutional membership. CASE serves nearly 78,000 advancement professionals on the staffs of its member institutions and has more than 16,000 professional members on its roster.

To fulfill their missions and to meet both individual and societal needs, colleges, universities and independent schools rely on—and therefore must foster—the good will, active involvement, informed advocacy and enduring support of alumni, donors, prospective students, parents, government officials, community leaders, corporate executives, foundation officers and other external constituencies.

CASE helps its members build stronger relationships with all of these constituencies by providing relevant research, supporting growth in the profession and fostering support of education. CASE also offers a variety of advancement products and services, provides standards and an ethical framework for the profession and works with other organizations to respond to public issues of concern while promoting the importance of education worldwide.